Curse of the Knowing Gnome
by Strandshaper
Summary: Spoilers for ep 114 of the first campaign of Critical Role. Scanlan knows a lot of things, and many of them he wished he didn't. My reaction to the conclusion of campaign one.


Scanlan's Ioun blessed words heard the incantation coming from the god's mouth, recognized the beginnings of the spell Teleport. Vecna, cracked open and broken, fearing the result of this battle, was going to try to escape. Percy was raising his gun, firing bullets, trying to break Vecna's focus, trying to keep him there. Grog's taut hand raised the Sword of Kas, no doubt raging to strike. Grog got the worst and the best weapons, really. It wouldn't help here.

Scanlan knew that there was nothing his friends could do to stop Vecna from escaping. And more importantly, Scanlan knew what the absolute dick of a god would do if he did. Scanlan knew a lot of things right now that he really wished he didn't. Scanlan knew what it was like to hear the screams of a whole city being ravaged by the arrogance of a mad god. He knew how dangerous a prepared enemy was, the sounds of an island explosion ringing in his ears still. Scanlan knew what Kaylie looked like, dead, lying on the ground. He knew he might see it again very soon if he didn't do it. Scanlan knew all of this all too well.

He had one way to stop Vecna for certain. Scanlan still had the power left in him to cast a 9th level spell, the absolute pinnacle of spellcasting, which most people barely dreamed of being able to cast _once _in a day. Vecna being able to cast three was just cheating, really. Still, it was the kind of power that rivaled gods, as his friends had proved everytime they used one of theirs to put Vecna that much more on the ropes. The shitty god was definitely on the ropes at this point. He had to be if he was trying to escape. The thing was, the 9th level spell was one that could rival every god. Not just this one, and this one wasn't the one Scanlan wanted to use it on. The rest of Vox Machina had entered this fight intended to fight a god. Scanlan had entered into it knowing he intended to fight two.

Scanlan knew how to cast a spell of the most powerful tier, and he knew how to cast a spell that was the most powerful of that level. It could grant a drunkard on the street the power to become a lord of the Quadroads. It could let Scanlan spoon with himself. He knew it could let him do anything. He knew it could let him save Vax. He knew that if he didn't use that power now, he might save Vax still. He knew if he did that then many, many other people would die. Vox Machina would probably die if Vecna escaped and had time to plan. Cassandra, Gilmore, Jarrett, Lionel, Kaylie, Sybil, and untold thousands besides.

Scanlan cast counterspell at 9th level.

It was impossible for any spell to resist a disruption of that strength, even a god. The teleportation spell shattered like cheap glass bottles made to look older. The skeleton god shot him a deadly glare, but Scanlan wasn't paying attention. Vecna had already thrown around a lot of power. He probably wouldn't be able to try something like that again. They had won All it had cost was one spell and with it, one life. Vax would forgive him if he knew. But he didn't. Only Scanlan knew. And he would have to live with knowing that he could have saved his friend, if only he'd played things a little bit differently.

Later, when the moment came for Vax to go, Scanlan asked if he wanted them to fight the Raven Queen, only half joking. Vax didn't say anything. Did he know that the chance had passed? Did he know the lengths Vox Machina would go to for even the chance of keeping him? Probably. They'd certainly done things like that before. Scanlan himself had just been ready to just now. But Vax accepted his fate with a smile on his face anyway. He had no idea how differently things could have gone. None of the others did either, although they certainly wanted to change it themselves. Only one gnome would ever know how things could have been different. And he would never, ever forget it.


End file.
